This study proposes to examine the relationship of the spontaneous shifts in imagery that occur in certain subjects during structured desensitization images to psychodiagnostic characteristics and to degree of experienced fear. The hypotheses are based on clinical pilot data, in which some individuals, when engaged in vivid imagery, reported that the content of their imagery at times shifted spontaneously and unpredictably, while other individuals reliably engaged in exactly the imagery that was planned. These two groups were readily and reliably discriminated on the basis of their verbal reports. The spontaneous- shift patients' MMPI patterns were markedly different from no-shift patients, and resembled those of diagnosed schizophrenics, although none of the subjects were psychotic. Further, spontaneous shifts could be eliminated by stepwise shaping procedures. The following hypotheses will be tested experimentally: (1) spontaneous shifts in imagery will be shown most frequently by diagnosed schizophrenics and by individuals who are similar in some way to diagnosed schizophrenics; and (2) spontaneous shifts, when they occur, will be associated with fear hierarchy items that represent a large fear increment beyond the previous item rather than a small increment. To test these hypotheses, three subject groups will be compared for the occurrence of spontaneous shifts in imagery during a systematic desensitization procedure: diagnosed schizophrenic patients, non- patients who have schizophrenic-like MMPI profiles, and non-patients with MMPI profiles suggesting a comparable level of (non- schizophrenic) pathology. This research offers a paradigm for the study of individual differences in the relationship between fear stimuli and cognitive (imaginal) behaviors, and could have important implications for the understanding of cognitive processes of anxiety avoidance and cognitive disorder.